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Little Children

Play trailer Poster for Little Children R Released Oct 6, 2006 2h 10m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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80% Tomatometer 160 Reviews 82% Popcornmeter 50,000+ Ratings
Sarah (Kate Winslet) is a well-educated woman who cannot come to terms with her life as a housewife and mother. Brad (Patrick Wilson), a stay-at-home dad, is married to a beautiful filmmaker (Jennifer Connelly) and goes skateboarding instead of studying for the bar exam. The pair meet at a playground and soon begin having secret trysts while their children nap and their spouses are at work.
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Little Children

Little Children

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Critics Consensus

Little Children takes a penetrating look at suburbia and its flawed individuals with an unflinching yet humane eye.

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Critics Reviews

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Sandra Hall Sydney Morning Herald The film displays a certain kinship with Sam Mendes's American Beauty, but Field is more tragedian than social satirist. Feb 9, 2007 Full Review David Fear Time Out Rated: 4/5 Feb 3, 2007 Full Review Jim Emerson Chicago Sun-Times I didn't like any of these characters, but I kept pulling for them anyway -- right up to the shock-o-riffic ending, when I felt I'd been sucker-punched. Rated: 2.5/4 Jan 5, 2007 Full Review Eddie Harrison film-authority.com '...the 134 minute length is justified by the eloquent way that Field skilfully draws out the mores of the suburban community...' Rated: 4/5 May 30, 2023 Full Review David Nusair Reel Film Reviews ...a slow-moving yet mostly engrossing drama... Rated: 3.5/4 Nov 24, 2022 Full Review David Lamble Bay Area Reporter Little Children shines through its flaws to deliver some of this season's most adult entertainment, a chilly send-up of an America we can all see out our windows or through our video screens. May 19, 2020 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Ku U Not at all worth the time. I felt like a wasted my time. Although the actors/actresses did a great job in the movie the purpose of the movie is not well clarified. Is it about children, is it about a devoured sex life of married couples or is it about sexual abuse? Jackie was great with the character but honestly that was cruel to even watch. One scene made my eyes bleed. Maybe the story outlines problems that could;ve been faced by couples with children I guess but I cant see the point clearly. The movie didnt start that great so I didnt have much expectations anyway. But thought it at least could end well. Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 06/30/24 Full Review Audience Member Cínico, niilista, caótico . O foco do filme é o relacionamento proíbido entre a protagonista e o cara, o que não me interessou muito. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 09/08/24 Full Review Rhianna J Kate Winslet is the greatest actress of my time. I honestly never hesitate to watch a film that she's involved with and I am never disappointed. This film sits in the shallows and never dives too deep but it works, it's modest and feels real. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/08/24 Full Review Jeff M The beauty of art is that it can mean many different things to many different people, regardless of or sometimes even in spite of the artist's intent. How you interpret this movie and what you get out of it will depend on a number of different criteria and how you relate, or don't relate, to the players involved. At its core, I think it's about two disparate but equally unsatisfied people who surprisingly find a connection. We've seen this in a thousand movies. The secret sauce here is the subplot involving the local sex offender, played by Jackie Earle Haley in an absolutely phenomenal performance. It's an amazingly complex role and our feelings about him eventually run the gamut. The storylines converge at the end, and one is forced to re-examine our thoughts and feelings about all of these characters. Winslet and Wilson are both great here, and it's interesting how each of them handle the effects of their affair differently. Connelley's is the only character (and/or performance) that feels a little off. With limited screen time, she isn't given the opportunity to flesh out a character beyond the suspicious jilted spouse. Kudos to Phyllis Somerville in a small but heartrending performance as Haley's mom. There are scenes here among the most disturbing and psychologically troubling I've seen in any movie. I get something new out of this every time I watch it, and it's an awesome movie to discuss with someone afterwards. It's likely you'll have very different opinions about what you saw. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 02/11/24 Full Review MB B One of the most cringeworthy movies that I have ever seen. Just gross with unlikable main characters. Can't believe Kate Winslet chose to be part of this. Ick, ick, ick! Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 01/08/24 Full Review Anne M It was a movie about a**holes. I can't stand watching movies about horrible people. It just kept getting worse and worse. Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 01/06/24 Full Review Read all reviews
Little Children

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Cast & Crew

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Movie Info

Synopsis Sarah (Kate Winslet) is a well-educated woman who cannot come to terms with her life as a housewife and mother. Brad (Patrick Wilson), a stay-at-home dad, is married to a beautiful filmmaker (Jennifer Connelly) and goes skateboarding instead of studying for the bar exam. The pair meet at a playground and soon begin having secret trysts while their children nap and their spouses are at work.
Director
Todd Field
Producer
Todd Field, Ron Yerxa, Albert Berger
Screenwriter
Todd Field, Tom Perrotta
Distributor
New Line Cinema
Production Co
New Line Cinema, Standard Film Company Inc., Bona Fide Productions
Rating
R (Some Disturbing Content|Language|Strong Sexuality and Nudity)
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Oct 6, 2006, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
May 31, 2010
Box Office (Gross USA)
$5.5M
Runtime
2h 10m
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